Author: 22kemmettg

Living In The Danger Zone

“I feel the need…the need for speed!”

We all know and love the infamous movie. Whether back when the original came out in 1986 or the sequel in 2022, no one can doubt that the movie is iconic. I mean, who doesn’t love sexy navy pilots?

Just like everyone else this summer, I couldn’t get “Danger Zone” out of my head. The feeling of pure joy, listening to the “Top Gun Anthem” while watching flight crews ready the planes for take-off is absolute bliss. I wanted more. In fact, I can vividly remember leaving the movie theater, queuing up Kenny Loggins, and driving my car like I was the one flying those F-14 Tomcats. I was entranced with not only the movie, but the characters, music, and the infamous storyline. Now, I can spend the next couple of paragraphs going on and on about how amazing Top Gun truly is. Yet, it is the message behind the films that have captured my true attention – although I can’t deny I did really enjoy the beach scene…both of them. 

As summer shifted into fall, I couldn’t get the movie out of my head. I found myself constantly wondering what it would be like to live amongst Rooster, Hangman, Phoenix, Bob, and the others. Instead of fighting it, I decided to embrace it. Using one of my favorite movies, I was able to increase my productivity and accomplish my goals more quickly. So, without further ado, here’s what I like to call the “The Top Gun Mindset.”

1. There needs to be discipline in your life. While it doesn’t have to be as extreme as a naval officer like in the movie, it is necessary to properly be in the “Top Gun Mindset.” Self-discipline is the most important part of this mindset because it is what you need to stick to the mindset. Set a routine. It can fluctuate based on the day, but consistency is key. When you hold yourself responsible for the little things in life, such as making your bed, keeping your bathroom counter clean, or responding to text messages right away, it makes the larger things seem much more doable. Personally, this was the hardest part of the mindset for me because there were times when I really wanted to stray from my routine. Yet, I stuck it out. While it wasn’t fun at the moment, it was worth it by the end of the day. I felt more accomplished and productive with the time I was given during the day.

2. Do everything to the best of your ability. Iceman didn’t graduate at number one because he just showed up to training. No, he was #1 because he gave everything he had to whatever he was doing. When you put your mind to something, you need to give it your all every single time. While doing this, you also need to remember that there isn’t just one definition of success within life. What looks like someone else’s best may not necessarily be your best. Just look at Iceman and Maverick! Both are highly decorated pilots and arguably the best within their field, yet both live very different lives. In the second movie, Ice is an Admiral and Maverick is a Captain. Both men consider themselves extremely successful, yet are sitting at different positions based upon the calling which they felt as they grew older.

3. While it’s ok to want to be successful and push yourself, you need to remember to live YOUR life. From the beginning of the movie, watching Maverick and Goose sing their rendition of “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” we’re reminded that all aspects in life are worth living and sometimes you need someone to remind you of it. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, especially as a college student. Slow down and have a little fun every once in a while. Look at Goose Bradshaw (my favorite character of all time)! He found the time to balance the areas of life that he thought were important: being a loving father and husband, a reliable RIO, and a class act piano player. Goose knew that a little humor every once in a while might be exactly what you need, especially in a life full of stress and responsibilities. My advice? Screaming “Great Balls of Fire” at the top of your lungs is a great way to have a quick dose of fun, especially the version sung by Miles Teller (those Bradshaw men knew what they were doing with their song choice).

4. You have to believe in yourself. There’s a fine line between acting like you’re confident and actually having confidence. Within both Top Gun movies, despite putting up a cocky exterior, Maverick is constantly doubting himself. He wasn’t necessarily selected for Top Gun and with the loss of Goose later on in the movie, we see his attitude constantly getting in the way of his capabilities. As an extremely talented pilot, Maverick wasn’t able to truly rise to his skill set due to his failure to believe in himself. It might take some time to get there, but that’s ok. In fact, take the sequel for example! Top Gun: Maverick originally started in 2010, yet wasn’t published until 2022. Just remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

5. WWMD? What would Maverick do? Although the hot head pilot is a bit chaotic, I can’t help but admire his ambition. While I don’t recommend a fly by when the tower specifically told you the pattern was full, embrace your life with that mindset. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. If there’s a specific thing you want within life, get it. Now, if you’re too much of a Maverick you’ll come off as difficult and stand-offish. Yet, once you find that fine-line between being a trailblazer and respecting others, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

In conclusion, now you have a perfectly good reason to go re-watch Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick. As such a fun, inspiring series, there’s so much more that you can learn besides what I’ve listed above. While not a navy pilot (although I do imagine what it would be like to fly alongside Maverick ), these lessons have truly transformed my life, making me more productive with not only the things that I need to do, but the things I want to accomplish. Now, I hope you join me in putting on some aviators, cranking up some Kenny Loggins, and ride right into the “Danger Zone.”

Romans 8:18

Relationships have always been fascinating to me. There are so many ways to form connections between two people: friendships, siblings, parents, co-workers, exes, teachers, and family. Each connection is special in its own way; no connection is the same. A bond, unique to two people, a special secret, unable to be recreated no matter the effort.

When broken down ever further, you’re able to find specks of each individual within the relationship. The most vulnerable, deepest parts hidden in the beauty of forming a connection with another human being. Relationships are craved, wished for, and desired. From the beginning of time, God emphasized the importance of having relationships when he created Eve for Adam – or even when he instructed Noah to put two of each species on the Arc. It is human nature to seek a connection in someone else, no matter what connection is formed.

With this being said, relationships hold many opportunities for lessons to arise, which usually begin with questions: How do I express myself in this relationship? What can I do to deepen this connection with said person? Is there a specific way in which I show love? This list could go on and on. While I’ve experienced different types of relationships and connections within my life, there’s one major lesson that has struck me the deepest – and was the hardest to learn. 

I know that I’ve mentioned in some of my previous writings a high-school relationship that wasn’t the greatest; and now, instead of looking back on it negatively, I find it humorously positive. To give y’all a little background knowledge concerning this boy, let’s just say that my time spent with him was not the healthiest. At the moment, the relationship seemed like a completely normal high-school relationship, yet once we had broken up, I realized what it truly was: toxic.

We had started dating in the spring of 8th grade and I had no idea what a relationship was supposed to look like. Sure, I had ideas due to my obsession with Romance movies and books, yet I knew that a middle-school boy was far from capable of Matthew McConaughey in How to Lose A Guy In 10 Days. Our relationship started out pretty normal, in typical middle-school fashion. Yet, it was when high-school started when things began to go downhill. 

Freshman year is hard enough as it is. Lots of adjusting socially, academically, and for me, athletically. I was really looking forward to the beginning of high-school as it was full of plenty of new opportunities. There were new classes to be taken, new freedoms and responsibilities to take on, new coaches to play for, and new clubs and councils to help run. I was over the moon, yet as the year went on I found myself growing more and more insecure. Now, I know it’s normal for a teenage girl to be insecure but this was a newfound level of insecurity that I was experiencing. I had no idea of how to fix it or what was causing it, but as I looked towards sophomore year, I figured I would have it all solved by the time school started again in August. With a summer of camp and time to grow ahead of me, it would all work itself out.

Boy was I wrong. Sophomore year progressed and it only got worse. It was so bad, that I had friends constantly asking me if I was ok…multiple times throughout the day. I had no sense of identity. Eventually, I figured out it was due to this boy. He was constantly saying and doing things to make me feel like I wasn’t important or good enough, yet would say things emphasizing how much his mental health and well-being relied on me. I let him dictate pretty much everything, letting him wrap me up in all of his own issues and insecurities. By being swept up in such a toxic environment, I had lost a sense of identity, especially within my own relationship. 

Trying to prove myself to him, but most importantly myself, I was overworking myself, my mind constantly full of doubts: in the classroom, on the athletic field, and even in my own bedroom, a space where I should have found solace. When COVID lockdown hit I was able to take a break from everything and self-isolate. I’m so thankful for the fact that I was able to quarantine with my family on our ranch in Carrizo Springs, TX, where I spent a majority of my childhood. Being back down in the south, among the dirt, wild flowers, and family, I was reminded of who I was and where I came from. 

I went through that summer slowly gaining a sense of identity back. Having spent my final year as a camper at Camp Longhorn, I headed into August really looking forward to my junior year – I was finally taking my favorite class at Saint Mary’s Hall (AP English Language), getting back to full strength on the soccer field, and was in the works of launching the blog. Yet that all came to a screeching halt the day before class officially started. He broke up with me and offered no real explanation as to why. How did I take it? Amazing. Truth be told, I had wanted to break up with him throughout the summer, yet was terrified due to the fact that his mental health relied so heavily on our relationship. I had no idea what he was going to do to himself if I had broken up with him. After he had left my house, I spent exactly 15 minutes crying over him, then went back to watching my episode of Criminal Minds that he had interrupted when he knocked on my door (the men of the BAU are far more superior). 

I spent a lot of time healing following the break-up. My junior and senior year was spent finding my voice, and most importantly, figuring out my identity that I had lost in him (I’ll save this story for another post since it’s kind of long). I ended up doing a complete 180 when it came to my college application process, but I chalk that up to growth (another story for another post). As my senior year progressed, so did my confidence. I was able to find my personal style and an edge to help get me through the more difficult battles of life. My love of writing was reignited, so much so that I published one of my pieces in my school’s literary magazine. I had a new breath of life and was ready to take on college life. 

Now, why did I spend the past 7 paragraphs rambling about a toxic, high-school relationship? Because it made me realize the importance of maintaining prioritizing your sense of identity in a relationship. You should never lose sight of who you are in-order to impress anybody, especially if it’s to save a relationship from ending. God puts people in our lives for specific reasons, and you will find people who you shouldn’t have to compromise yourself for. Be confident in who you are and what you stand for; and don’t let anyone else dictate the rules of your own life. 

For all those reading who are younger or feel like they’re going through a similar situation, I’d like to end this post off with a letter I wish I could send to my 9th grade self:

“The pain you have been feeling cannot compare to the joy that is coming.”

Romans 8:18

Friends, Faith, & First Semester

Hey y’all! It’s been a while…a long while, but in my eyes that’s a good thing. These past few months, I’ve been adjusting to college life, socially and academically. I’ve just completed my first semester at Ole Miss and am loving it! With these first few months I’ve learned some valuable lessons that I think are worthy of sharing on here, especially since I’ve been itching to get back to posting. Now that I’ve found a schedule within this new chapter, I plan to post more regularly. 

After a summer of growing and a semester of finding myself, I feel ready to jump full force into what started my junior year of high-school. With that being said, I’ve learned a lot since I last posted on here; some valuable lessons that I believe I wouldn’t have learned without my time away. Wanting to post again and update y’all on what I’ve been up to, here’s three of my most valuable lessons from my first semester of college!

Before I came to Ole Miss, I struggled, especially with social stereotypes. I graduated from a very small private school and with a very clique based class. From the time I first entered Saint Mary’s Hall in the 8th grade, it was hard for me to find people who were like me. Now, when I say “like me” I mean people who share the same morals, beliefs, and ideologies. I was in a very small pool, yet I made the most of what I was presented with. I threw myself into my school-work, especially the subjects in which I found the most joy. When I got to my senior year, I couldn’t wait to start the next chapter of my life. I was looking forward to a fresh start in a fresh environment. Terrified of moving to Mississippi since I was about two states away from home and knew no one, I knew it was the best thing for me. After going through sorority recruitment, I realized “wow! there truly are people out in this world who are like me.” I was in a much larger pond and was able to freely express who I am and what I wanted.

Although I had an established social life within my sorority and felt pretty confident in myself again, I still had the fear of finding friends. Thankfully, I was blessed with some pretty amazing girls. Some I met right off the bat, move-in day specifically. They knocked on my dorm door the first night and we’ve been amazing friends ever since. One of them I met waiting for a pref round during recruitment, but actually introduced myself and started connecting on sorority bid day. Then, she introduced me to another friend of mine a few days later when we were getting ready for a social event. My final few good friends I didn’t meet until a few months later. I was with a group looking for a specific tent gameday morning. Turns out she was looking for the same tent and we spent the day together. Now, I don’t think I’ve spent a day without seeing her. 

With this long ramble about how I met my closest friends, I want y’all to take away how crazy and in-between me meeting each of them truly is. All of them happened by chance, but now I can’t imagine life without them. These girls have taught me what true friendship is and I’ve been greatly blessed to have them in my life. They constantly make me feel loved and supported, and are always there to offer a shoulder and plenty of hugs on bad days; and on the good days they’re still there, ready to celebrate and enjoy the memories. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing – going to the gym, walking around campus, running to Walmart, studying at my sorority house, or eating dinner at the Student Union – we always find a way for plenty of laughs and a good time. It’s crazy how you don’t realize what you missed your whole life until God blesses you with such special people. Good, genuine relationships are hard to come-by, so when you find them hold them close.

On the topic of God, I’ve found that College has only shown me how great his plan for each and every one of us is. I’ve always been a planner when it came to life; I always had to know exactly what was going on and how it was going to be done. When it came to the college decision process, I thought I had it all figured out. Boy was I wrong. A year ago, I had absolutely no interest in Ole Miss. Now, I honestly can’t imagine myself anywhere else. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been and I account it all to Him. He knew where I needed to be and who I needed in my life. In fact (it’s actually pretty funny), everytime I go out with my friends, we spend a few minutes just realizing and being thankful that God has put us all in each other’s lives. I’ve had many ups, downs, tears, and smiles in my life, but looking back it all makes sense. It truly is an amazing thing, realizing that His plan is exactly what you need. 

Now, there are plenty more lessons that I’ve learned, including those that come with community living, planning a vacation, and bringing a cake into a restaurant for someone’s birthday dinner, but these are the major ones that have truly changed my outlook on life. I know I said it before, but I love Ole Miss and all that it’s offered me. I’m grateful to be on break and spend time with my family, but I’m excited to go back and continue my time there. I’ve been lucky enough to learn these lessons at this stage in life and have them as guidance as I continue this chapter and look towards the next.

My 5 Lessons of High-School

I still have not wrapped my mind around graduation. There is no possible way that my high-school years are complete! Looking back, I don’t regret a single action, decision, or memory. Looking forward, I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me in this next chapter. Now, while I do look back fondly on my time at Saint Mary’s Hall, there were many lessons learned. No, I don’t just mean school work. Some hold more importance than others, but all shaped me into who I am today.

First of all, I learned that good friends are really hard to find. My best friend and I, while we did meet in 8th grade, didn’t become close until my junior year. I had no idea that the girl who I color coded notes with in Physics freshmen year would be my partner in crime. While it was hard to imagine myself with such a good friend at the beginning of high-school, I can’t imagine myself without her now. She’s seen me through thick and thin and vice versa. We may be separated next year, but miles can’t destroy friendship. It only makes the memories even better and the future even more exciting.

Secondly, I learned to never lose sight of who you are and what you love. For the better part of high-school, I hid parts of me that were different from others. I wanted to fit in, so that was the best option: becoming a copy of others. I had no passion, following the crowd in the hallways like a lost sheep. When COVID hit the second half of my sophomore year, I was in a bit of a dark place. I had no idea what I wanted to do in my free time. Now, I’m grateful for that realization because it led to me finding new life, new passions. Thus, Peach and Grace was born! My old passions were reignited and I felt like myself again.

Third, I lost and found my self-confidence. I was a very confident child, knowing what I wanted and who I was. When I entered high-school, that all changed. Now, a majority of that is due to the fact that I let a boy dictate my life, but that’s a story for another post (coming soon!). When that relationship finally ended, and with the help of my favorite teacher of all time, I was able to find my voice. Before finding it, I wanted to blend in, the comfort of a small community. Now, I’m ready to speak out into the world; and believe me, I have plenty to say. I’ve experienced what it’s like to be silenced and I don’t want to go back. Once you’ve found your voice, hold onto it. Be proud to use it!

Fourth, surround yourself with like minded people. My freshmen year, I really didn’t join any clubs. I ran for sports council and that was it. My Sports Council career has been one of my proudest accomplishments in high-school, but that wasn’t satisfying my hunger for involvement. My junior year I branched out, joining the Young Conservative and Independent Voices club. My senior year I branched out even more, joining Creative Writing, Philosophy, Student Investment Group, participating in a city wide finance competition (we won btw), and even playing lacrosse! It was my last year it high-school and I wanted to make it count by filling it with memories that will last forever. By surrounding myself with new things and like minded people, I always had something to look forward to, never dreading another day at school.

Finally, and this one may seem a little nerdy, but I learned the value of a good planner. The one thing that keeps me sane in my busy world is my little gold binder. It has everything going on in my life, even what blog posts I’m going to publish next! Every little idea that pops into my mind gets scribbled in that binder. I’d like to confidently say that I’ve mastered the art of planning, but I feel I’m always learned new tips and tricks, especially from Tik Tok. Whether you like planners or not, I highly recommend finding a way tot keep yourself organized. It definitely makes life easier.

Now, this isn’t everything that I’ve learned in my high-school career, but I would say these are the top 5 most important lessons. Some were learned the hard way and some the easy way, but each holds the same amount of importance in my eyes. I definitely plan to use these as guidance throughout my next 4 years of college (I’m already organizing my schedule in my planner as we speak). Whether you’ve yet to enter high-school, are currently enrolled, or have graduated like myself, I hope these help you however you chose to implement them.

Little Life Update!

Hey y’all! I know I’ve been M.I.A. these past couple of weeks and I apologize. Being completely honest, I fell into a bit of a writers block. Plus I got caught up in the whirlwind of my final weeks of high school. Between AP exams, grad parties, graduation practice, and graduation itself I used what little time I had to myself just for that…being with myself. I’ve always preached the importance of taking some time to yourself every once in a while, and I definitely needed to practice that these past few weeks.

As I mentioned earlier, I had AP exams several weeks ago. Unfortunately for me, the way College Board scheduled the exams all my exams were back to back, making the week seem pretty long. With lots of mental strength, I made it through! It wasn’t easy, but I had a wonderful support system around me guiding me through it all. While it wasn’t easy, it was doable. Yes, I did dread it heading in, but looking back, it honestly wasn’t that bad. Definitely something that I wasted too much time worrying about.

Following that week, I had final project after final project. Thankfully, the projects were super fun. I know I mentioned my philosophy class to y’all several times and I’m super sad that the class is over. It was definitely one of my absolute favorite classes that I took throughout high school. I had so much fun exploring my thoughts and beliefs this past semester and can’t wait to share them with y’all! I have a post outlining my final project to y’all in the works, so make sure to be on the look out for it!

Then, I had the week of graduation. Boy was that a crazy week! After endless grad parties, the coveted day finally came. While I probably still haven’t wrapped my mind around the fact that I’m no longer a high school student, I’m really looking forward to next year, where I’ll continue my studies at Ole Miss.

Speaking of Ole Miss, I actually attended Orientation last week and signed up for my fall semester classes. While I know the summer will blow by quickly, I cannot wait to get to the cute little town of Oxford in August! Along with my philosophy post, I have a big post reflecting on my high school and college decision process coming soon. I’ve learned a lot throughout the process (I feel like I say this way too much, but it’s true!) and can’t wait to share.

While these past couple of weeks have been crazy, I’m excited for what’s to come! So, stay on the lookout! Peach and Grace has some big things in the work you definitely don’t want to miss out on!

20 Seconds

When I was younger, I remember watching this movie in the back of my mom’s car on the way to school. Completely jealous that the man in the movie purchased a real, live, actual zoo, I re-watched this movie over and over, hoping one day that would become my reality. Now, I can gladly say that I do not own a zoo (could you imagine!), but I remember this one lesson that was buried amidst lions and peacocks.

As I grow older, this quote becomes more relevant. I’ve never really been a confrontational “I’m going to get what I want” person, but as I navigated high-school, I quickly learned that this mindset would not get me far in life. There have been countless times, meeting with a teacher regarding an unfair grade, telling a coach that I won’t make a big game, and telling an ex-boyfriend to leave me alone (just to name a few), where I’ve needed 20 seconds of insane courage. It’s not much, but boy does it feel good when those 20 seconds are up.

The more I used this rule, the more I realized that I didn’t need the full 20 seconds. In fact, there are some instances when I don’t need them at all. The more I implement this rule, the more natural it becomes. Like practicing a sport, the more time spent performing a skill, the more likely it will become muscle memory.

I will admit, there are times when I need to give myself a 5-minute pep talk before acting within my 20 seconds, but it works! Something just as simple as:

“Georgia, you are going to do BLANK. You’re amazing, smart, and courageous. You’re more than capable of doing this. Just be yourself and trust your instincts. Now, Georgia, let’s go do this.”

This may be silly, but to each their own. I’ve found what works for my 20 seconds; you just need to go out and find yours. It’s trial and error, but eventually it’ll click. Go out and try it! You’ll be amazed at how impactful 20 seconds can be.

Embrace Yourself

This quote has been sitting on my infamous Pinterest quote board for a while, but I never realized the importance of it until recently. In my philosophy class, we’re currently in the middle of our discussion of self and what it means to have an identity. So, I figured this quote fit perfectly with the current thoughts running through my mind right now (probably because I just finished my reading for our next class discussion, but oh well! this is an important lesson here)

Everybody has a distinct self. There’s no arguing. Deep down, we all have something that makes us tick; something that drives all our decisions, actions, responses, etc. It’s just a matter of fact if we chose to recognize this self (this is called bad faith: refusal to accept the facts of your self).

At some point in our lives, usually around our teenage years, we reflect on who we are and what we stand for. This could be a self-inflicted reflection or one brought on by parents, but regardless the motivation we all go through it. Once we’ve taken the time to decided who we are, it’s only a matter of whether we stand firm in ourselves.

While this quote may not represent a mindset that everyone has, I believe that we need to work towards one mimics what Doyle is saying here. If you’re not comfortable with a decision within a friend group, administration, or larger group, don’t just sit back and “go with it.” Break off and stand firm in what you believe. You shouldn’t have to pretend to be someone you aren’t in-order to be accepted. Especially in relationships. Trust me. I’ve experienced it and it is not pretty. I spent almost 3 years in a depression just because I wasn’t strong enough to stand firm in myself. I don’t recommend it.

Find who you are. A good starting place is your past actions. Reflect on them and how they made you feel. This will give you a good gauge on what sits well and disturbs you. You’ll be surprised at how powerful your own emotions can be. If they don’t sit well, don’t just “forget and move-on.” They are valid emotions. Accept them and how they made you feel; use them as guidance for your next decisions. Your best mentor is yourself, specifically your emotions as they are authentic to you. Don’t fight it. Embrace yourself!

Find Your Style

How time flies when you’re having fun! I can’t believe that it’s been a year since I first launched this site; and what a year it has been. Through the ups and downs, I’ve learned a lot about myself. This blog has brought personal reflection that has shown me parts of myself that I had no idea existed, things that I never would have considered.

I’ve always been a very particular person, and my time with this blog has made it even more evident, especially in everyday life. This semester, I’m currently taking philosophy (definitely a new favorite subject). In the class, we’re currently in the middle of our chapter on “self” and what it means to be an individual. While I could go off on a rant regarding my thoughts on this topic, I’ll save that for another post. Meanwhile, I’ll stay simple and just say that I’m currently having a slight crisis regarding whether my true self is authentic or not. I’ll let y’all know when I figure that one out 😉

Even more recently, we had an assignment in my Creative Writing class entitled “Teach Us Delight in Simple Things.” While the objective was to write about one thing that has impacted us, it has slightly inspired this post.

Ok, so how will I manage to pull together my one year anniversary, my philosophical crisis, and a past Creative Writing assignment? Well, one major component of all 3 is self-reflection. I’ve spent the past couple of weeks trying to figure out how I want to celebrate this milestone in my life, and these 3 kept popping up. So, I thought I would share some of my reflection all-while shedding some more light on who I am.

Everything that I do is with reason and purpose, nothing slips past meaningless. There is thought to each and every one of my actions; perhaps that’s the method to my madness. So, without further ado, my personal philosophies for a happy life:

  1. Find a good comfort movie and don’t be ashamed of it. Own it! Personally, I can’t pick one, but I highly recommend either Sweet Home Alabama, The Princess Diaries 1 & 2, Newsies or Cars. Just a movie that will provide immediate comfort and relief from any bad day.

2. Sweet potato fries can fix anything. Heartbreak, disappointment, or sorrow. They also go with just about anything. My go-to sweet potato fries are the one’s from Order-Up in Lincoln Heights. They’re always crispy and have just the right amount of salt.

3. Cherish your friends. This past year I grew closer to my best friend and I don’t know how I managed before I met her. She’s my closest confidant, my partner in crime. I feel like this past year we’ve gone through so much, separately and together, and I couldn’t image doing any of it without her.

4. Don’t be afraid to take time for yourself. This year, I’ve found that every once in awhile it’s ok to take an hour, night, or day to de-stress and re-group in whatever way needed. My favorite is Chinese take-out, my favorite candle (Vanilla Birch; I will die for this scent), and a new movie or show (could be a comfort movie…depends on the mood).

5. Find your signature style. I’ll admit…I haven’t always been one for fashion. That is until I found what works for me. I now have a personal elegance in my wardrobe that I couldn’t image myself without. The way you dress is one of the first things people notice about you, so you should mirror your outward appearance with your inner one.

6. Don’t throw away the old ways. I understand that the times are changing, but some things are better left untouched. The art of letter writing, good manners, books, records, and so much more have such strong impacts. Don’t lose sight of things that bring you joy, especially if others don’t like it.

While these philosophies don’t have to be directly translated into your own life, they come highly recommended. It took time to find what worked, so you might have to do the same as well. It’s nice knowing that despite how crazy life gets, you’ll always have something sound to fall back on.

Georgia Grace is a romantic, reader, camper, sweet tea lover, counselor and sister who wants to take the world by storm, especially as she prepares to leave for college.

A Perfect Life

I believe that this quote perfectly sums up my past couple of weeks. As my final 9 weeks of high-school rolls around, I can say that I am feeling that senior slide (a.k.a. senioritis). As I go through my day, I no longer stress about what assignments I have to complete that night, but how can I soak in my last moments in the halls of my school. I want to leave high-school knowing that I had fun, especially these last few weeks. Not wanting to look back and see stressing assignments, dooming deadlines, or pressing papers, I hope that these last few months are full of memories that I will look back on and smile.

Being totally honest, I’m a perfectionist. I think about tasks way too much, getting caught up in any possible mistakes or failures. When I was starting club soccer, I would spend so much time worrying about making a mistake during the game that the coach would have to sub me out and “reset” my mind, telling me that it was ok. This only got worse as I grew older. My english papers would keep my up at night, editing and re-editing my writing until the words ran together on the screen. Looking back, it was not fun.

Now that I’ve switched my focus, I’m allowing myself the ability to breath and do what I actually want to pursue. I’ve joined the inaugural women’s lacrosse team at my high-school and absolutely love it! I’ve only had 4 practices, but I’ve had so much fun during our hour and a half time together each day. Every day, I talk walks with my best friend. We have no idea where we go, but we enjoy wandering campus talking about whatever comes to mind. In fact, I’ve discovered some things about my campus that I didn’t even know existed during my last 4 years!

It’s crazy how one small change in mindset can do. Sure, I’m still a perfectionist at heart (I’ll probably edit this piece a few times before I post it), but I’ve no learned that it’s ok to pair that perfection with my new mindset of what Nichols calls wholeness. If we live our lives like it’s our last, soaking in every minute of it, we gain so much more than living in desire of perfection. No one has ever lived a perfect life. Each life is different, unique in its own way. If you feel like your life is whole and meaningful, then it’s a perfect one. Don’t let anybody convince you otherwise.

Precious Grace

I absolutely adore this quote. Maybe it’s because it regards one of my favorite topics, grace, but I think it’s because it accurately captures grace in action.

When faced with times of great pain or grief, it is easy to throw in the towel, surrendering all respect and rationale. Yet, when one is courageous enough to face this adversity, grace needs to be present.

Instead of giving in and letting adversity consume you, stand up and greet it head on. When doing so, don’t be afraid to maintain your manner and poise. Yes, overcoming a trouble feels really good, but when accomplished with your own style and charm? Now that feels euphoric.

Never be afraid to hold onto who you are. Everyone is unique in their own way, bringing different qualities to the table of life. If one person choses to forgo their own personality, copying another in-order to fit-in or overcome a problem, the world looses it’s variability. Stay true to who you are. Never shy away from your grace.